


A Choice or Two

by Little_Inkstone



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Anti-Charming Family, Anti-Storybrooke Citizens, Except Henry, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-05
Updated: 2016-08-05
Packaged: 2018-07-29 13:19:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7686031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Little_Inkstone/pseuds/Little_Inkstone
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a fight with her husband Belle ends up talking to the Charming’s and gains a new perspective on things.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Choice or Two

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CelticHeartedFanfic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CelticHeartedFanfic/gifts).



> Written for the 2016 Rumbelle Christmas in July event for CharmedRumbelle, the prompt was: Belle chooses Rumple over “heroes".

The library was empty.  Well, no, that wasn’t totally true.  The head – and only – librarian was there.  Belle sighed, setting aside a children’s book with a very green cover featuring a tree and a little boy on the front.  Sitting at the desk and sorting through a collection of new books for her library had done nothing but give her time to think; instead of the desired outcome of distracting her from her thoughts.  She had hoped that the menial task would be enough to clear her mind after her last argument, if it could be called that, with her husband.

Rumplestiltskin had promised to be honest with her, and honest he was; easily admitting that he had no intention of helping Emma, her parents, or the any of the company they chose to keep _ever again_.  Instead of doing the rational thing and trying to talk it out, she had left the house in a huff once more.  They’d never get anywhere if they didn’t communicate and now that Rumple had opened up she had fallen back on her own bad habit of storming away, making it hard for them to actually talk.

Absentmindedly she rubbed her stomach, the slight curve of early pregnancy beginning to ripen into a full roundness that was starting to impede her.  She wanted to make things work with Rumple, not just for their baby, but for themselves too.  Belle knew what it was like to live without him and even though she knew she could do it, that didn’t mean she wanted to; especially now that he had taken a step towards being the man she knew he truly was.  She’d never wanted him to change, not really, only to be honest with her; and now he was and she was the one being difficult.

She and Rumple had been through so much over their short years together in Storybrooke, sometimes it felt as if there were years’ worth of events packed into months or weeks instead of being properly laid out.  But no matter how she longed for the simple days in the Dark Castle, when she was only first beginning to understand her feelings for her mysterious companion – he had never been her master beyond a title that was quickly shed – Storybrooke was their home and the self-styled heroes were their friends and family.

Belle frowned at that thought.  Perhaps words like friendship and family were a bit strong.  Henry was the only connection between Rumple and the rest of town, and she was even less connected, only through marriage.  Of course that didn’t mean she wasn’t _friends_ with the Charming’s and their extended circle of confidantes.  Although, more often than not she felt as if she were on the outside looking in, only contacted when something was needed from her, like the solution to a problem that could have easily been fixed with a little common sense and a basic understanding of how things work.  Sometimes it seemed as if she were the only one in town besides her husband that bothered to crack a book once and awhile.

Now that she had begun to think about it Belle couldn’t remember the last time she’d simply talked to Emma or Snow for a reason other than a world ending catastrophe. Perhaps it had been when she’d been asked to babysit Neal Nolan, while doing research of course.  Because it was easier to juggle taking care of a baby and reading then galumphing around town doing nothing but making things worse; everyone knew that babies and large books mixed as well as fairies and dust. The thought made Belle silently roll her eyes.

The sound of the library door opening broke her from her incensed thoughts, she’d come to the library to calm down, not get mad at a completely different group of people.

She turned to greet her new patron, her smiling dimming a little as she saw the three people that had been the focus of her ire only seconds ago; Emma striding confidently ahead of her parents the two of them following closely behind.  Well, it was a well-known saying: speak of the devil and he shall appear before you.

“We need your help.” Emma said by way of greeting, her hands coming down on the desk with a firm thump.

“Gold hasn’t been cooperating.”  Snow supplied, cutting Belle off before she could even speak.  David nodded silently behind his daughter and wife, his arms crossed.

“He already told me he didn’t plan on helping you again, what do you expect me to do?” Belle asked, one perfectly shaped eye brow coming up, her own arms crossing over top of her belly as she drew herself up to her full height.  She missed her heels in that moment; knowing she could use the elevation to cut at least a semi-more imposing figure.

Emma frowned. “He told you?”

Belle frowned in return.  “Yes.”

For a moment Emma stared in silence, her parent’s following her lead as she thought of something. “Then do you still have the dagger? Because we could−”

Belle’s hand came up, cutting Emma off.  “Get out.” She said through gritted teeth.

“It would only be for a short time.”  Charming supplied as if that would change her mind or make what they were suggesting any less horrific.

“You’re monsters.” She whispered, looking at them clearly for the first time since they’d met.

“Excuse me?” Snow asked, her voice high and offended as she pressed a hand to her chest.

“You people, you’re monsters!”  Belle repeated disgust dripping from every word.  “You take and take and take until there’s nothing left.  And if someone decides that they’ve had enough your first plan is to take their free will from them!”

“Gold’s the monster, he’s a villain.”  Emma snapped back.

“He’s my husband!” Belle yelled.  “And he’s the only one that’s ever actually cared about my wellbeing in this gods-forsaken town.  Even going so far as to try and spare me the pain of knowing you just want to use me as a bargaining chip or as blackmail when Rumple won’t do what you want.  For a while I’ve tried to pretend I didn’t know that this was a one sided relationship, that I was just a means to an end; but I can’t stand by while you plot to take away the agency of the man I love so you can fix one of your own messes!”  Breathing heavily Belle pointed to the door.  “So I’ll say it again.  Get. Out.”

“You’re hormonal, Belle.”  Snow tried to sooth, stepping closer.  “You’re tired and not thinking clearly.”

“I’m thinking as clearly as I ever have.”  Belle replied, her voice cold and hard as steel.

Emma let out a noisy sigh from her nose at Belle’s words.  “Fine, whatever.”  She said, throwing her hands up.  “We’ll come back when you’re more reasonable and willing to help us.”

As they filed out the door Belle continued to glare at their retreating backs.  “Then I won’t be seeing you ever again.”  She muttered.  “I’m tired of helping you.”

She was tired of a lot of things, tired of being mad at Rumple, tired of Storybrooke, and tired of making the stupid choice of choosing fair-weather friends over her true love so she could be closer to her idea of a hero.  Those people weren’t heroes and there was nothing heroic about helping them either.  Belle felt silly now, having stormed away in a huff for something she herself had done. At least one good thing that had come from this was she now understood her husband a bit better, that and severing ties with the Charming family, not that she was sure it had sunk in yet for them that she was serious.

Belle hoped that Rumple and she would still be able to see Henry once and awhile.  He was still just a child, for all that he had grown taller than her; it would be unfair to blame him for the sins of his family. Especially since he was all Rumple had left of Baelfire.

The events of the day weighed on her as she closed the library, needing to simply go home and relax.  The chances of anyone else showing up were slim and she really didn’t want to have to deal with anyone asking for help again.  The walk home was slower than usual, but blessedly uneventful and by the time she got home she was ready for a long soak in the tub while finishing her latest book, but first she needed to talk to Rumple.

He was in his study, unsurprisingly, so caught up in whatever paper work he was doing he didn’t notice her in the doorway.  She leant against the doorjamb, absentmindedly twirling her wedding ring. No matter what she found her Rumple handsome; his hair long and silky, shot through with silver framing his face that could display so many different emotions so quickly it could make her head spin.  Belle admired him a moment longer before gently clearing her throat.

Rumple looked up, his eyes uncertain, the hand still holding his pen beginning to twirl it. She smiled tentatively at him; there were so many things she wanted to say, so many things she wanted to tell him. She understood now, she could see what he’d seen for a while, knew what he had known for years.  The words wouldn’t come, not yet, but they would and soon, until then she had Rumple.  They could do anything together, as long as they were truly together, honest with each other, but willing to listen to that honesty without judgment as well.

“Hey.”  Belle murmured, the greeting more of a question then anything else.  Would they be okay?

“Hey.”  He whispered back, standing to move forward and taking her into his arms.  They would be.


End file.
